The Flatbush YMCA opens its doors at 8:00am on most days, but the throng of teenagers don’t arrive until after school lets out in the afternoon.
In particular, this YMCA on Flatbush Avenue is just blocks away from where chain stores such as McDonald’s and Target have implemented recent bans on adolescents after several incidents of violence. But even with school letting out for the year this week, the Y still offers a bastion of programming for neighborhood youth.
“Opening the doors for the YMCA is huge,” said Ruchnodi Vincent, a teen advisor at the Flatbush YMCA. “I really want to emphasize that we always do an intake of what the students like so we can gear the academic stuff in a manner that is something they're interested in.”
On Tuesday, there’s recreational basketball and on Fridays, there’s cooking classes and Teen Zone, where teens gather for recreation, playing sports, video games, board games, arts and crafts, or simply hang out with friends. Additionally on the weekends, there's an anime club.
The anime club, according to Vincent, is one idea sparked from an intake session. The Y also provides programs that are civic and academically centered, such as Teens Take the City (TTC), a program run in partnership with the New York City government where teens learn how they can be active operatives of change.
“Even if they’re unaware of what’s going on in their neighborhood, this gives them the access to say, ‘Hmmm, let me study my neighborhood and actually see what I don’t notice every single day, what I’ve adapted to and what I actually disagree with,’” Vincent said.
Vincent, a Flatbush native, got candid about his initial reaction to the youth bans at McDonald’s and Target.
“I'll be honest, initially I was like, ‘Alright, finally those little kids that were wilding – they're not going to be there anymore,’” he said.
But Vincent soon had a change of heart once he thought more about the nature of the ban. “Some students might not have the best home to go back to and they want to spend that little time that they have outside to socialize," he added.
Vincent said that warnings and signs that establish unwanted behavior is a more beneficial solution compared to a ban. “Because what’s the message we’re getting across to our kids – we’re limited to this space because of our age," he said.
At the Y, some of those signs and warnings already exist. Along with the anime posters, artwork and stickers plastered across its walls, the building’s Teen Center has signs reminding kids of the rules, and the consequences if they are not followed.
While teens are provided spaces to engage in activities after school, some say that there’s a challenge in bringing them to those spaces.
“I think one of the many challenges is communication – specifically the communication of how do you constantly let people know about the things that are available in the neighborhood,” said Karl-Henry Cesar, chairperson of Community Board 14 which covers Flatbush, Kensington and Midwood.
Cesar highlighted the board’s annual youth conference, which invited adolescents to interact with 50 organizations that provide summer jobs, internships and social services.
Getting the word out for the March conference involved getting multilingual flyers printed and posted around the community district, contacting parent coordinators in the district’s schools and notifying local electeds. While substantial involvement is needed for spreading the word, he admits there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to communicating about local events.
“Even if it's youth, every event has different needs and the approach might have to be different,” said Cesar. “I don't believe there's a silver bullet to solve the communication [problem]. I think it's just consistent outreach and belief in people.”
